Detention Again
by sweaterweather21
Summary: Somehow, Charlie and Tonks always seemed to find themselves in detention.
1. Happenstance

**Detention Again**  
by sweaterweather21

* * *

 **Summary:** Somehow, Charlie and Tonks always seemed to find themselves in detention.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Written for the Monthly One-Shot Exchange on HPFC for Cyclothymic. I used the prompt "pride." Hope you enjoy :)

Also thanks to 7JulesPotter7 for being an awesome beta for this story :)

* * *

Chapter 1: Happenstance  
In which McGonagall inadvertently plays Cupid...

" _Funny how we both end up free but everything seems alright_  
 _I wonder what will happen if we went back and put up a fight"_

Never Forget You – Zara Larsson

* * *

Charlie had just completed a loop around the Slytherin goal post when a flutter of gold wings caught his eye.

Careful not to disrupt his flying pattern and alert the opposing Seeker, he continued his trajectory upward for a few more seconds before twisting into a dive. He could see the Snitch now; it seemed to have a life of its own, dancing around near the base of the Gryffindor goal posts.

Charlie attempted to flatten himself against his broom, a task easier said than done considering he had at least six inches and fifty pounds on the typical Seeker build. Nevertheless, he pushed forward, noticing that the Slytherin Seeker, an ugly sixth year by the name of Terence Higgs, had caught on to his descent.

"Damn it!" Charlie muttered under his breath.

Not only had Higgs been alerted to the appearance of the Snitch, but that bloody golden ball had risen upward toward the stands, rendering Charlie's dive useless. Higgs, who had been loitering uselessly near the middle of the field, now had the better angle and was speeding toward the Snitch with a gleeful look on his face.

Grimacing, Charlie jerked his broom upwards. His Nimbus 1700, which he had bought with his own money, was a quality broomstick for the price, but it lacked acceleration with sudden changes of direction. He could only hope that the Snitch didn't continue to fly in the direction of Higgs.

Luckily, the Snitch only continued to rise higher in the air. Charlie was a much better flier than Higgs and managed to make up for a bit of lost ground. He adjusted his positioning relative to the Snitch, effectively cutting off Higgs behind him. He heard the Slytherin swear from below him, but thought nothing of it. The Snitch was only a few meters away now, so Charlie switched his grip and prepared to extend his arm.

He was only a meter away when his broom made a sudden downward jerk. Charlie instantly knew it wasn't his own brooms faulty handling. It had a few weaknesses, but the Nimbus 1700 was solid at top speed, and Charlie was experienced enough to know without doubt that the incident had been perpetrated by Higgs.

He spared a quick glance backward at the Slytherin. Higgs was grinning maniacally, confirming Charlie's intuition, and reached out to tug on the twigs again.

Charlie heard the crowd gasp, and he knew that this time Higgs had been more successful. While Charlie had previously held a full body-length's lead on his opponent, they were now almost neck and neck, as Higgs had crept up on his left. The Snitch still danced nearly a meter in front of them both.

"You bloody bastard!" Charlie roared. He had never really been able to keep his temper in check, and despite the proximity of the Snitch, he couldn't resist lashing out at the Slytherin. They were all scum.

Higgs only sneered. "Those cheap models are known to malfunction. If only you could afford a better broom," he retorted loudly, his voice carrying despite the wind.

Charlie opened his mouth to respond, but was distracted as the Snitch made a sudden jerk to the right. He pushed his broom to follow, and extended his right arm. He was merely centimeters away now. Higgs was close by, trying to gain position, but Charlie jockeyed him away with his left elbow. With both arms otherwise occupied, his thighs were doing to brunt of the work keeping him in the air.

Charlie sensed Higgs coming for another assault, but had enough presence of mind to stretch his right arm out a little further first, wrapping his strong fingers around the golden ball.

He only had a split-second to smile, before the collective intake of breath from the crowd and the sudden feeling of free-fall alerted him to the fact that he was falling off his broom.

His left arm caught on his broomstick on the way down, and Charlie managed to secure a grip with his left hand, leaving him dangling in the air.

Higgs smirked from up above, and Charlie's eyes blazed. That prat was going to get it, just as soon as he could get back on his broom.

The Snitch was still secure in his right fist, and Charlie wasn't about to release it now. The extra muscle on his frame, which made him a fraction of a second slower in the air, was now going to come in handy. He swung back and forth from below the broom until he had enough momentum to pull the broom toward himself, hooking his right leg around the shaft.

He was mounted backward, but at least he was still in the air. Higgs looked ready to do something else, but Charlie's teammates had reacted to the danger, and surrounded him. Oliver Wood, the burly fourth-year keeper, scowled with particular menace and Higgs had the sense to back away.

Charlie allowed himself to be distracted by the deafening roar of the scarlet and gold supporters as he descended. A smile stretched across his face as he dismounted his broom, and he raised his right arm in triumph, clenching the Snitch between his fingers so the crowd could see.

The response was deafening.

His team lined up to shake hands, and as Captain, Charlie took his place at the end. Some of the Slytherins looked defeated, but Higgs, also at the end of the line, wasn't done looking for a fight.

The Slytherin focused his beady eyes on Charlie, teeth bared in a snarl as he gripped Charlie's hand aggressively.

"Maybe if your whore mum wasn't so busy popping out kids she could buy you a better broom!"

It took Charlie less than a split-second to decide he was done trying to play nice. Wrenching his arm out of the Higgs's grip, he pulled back and threw a punch that left the Slytherin staggering.

Higgs fought back, but Charlie wasn't intimidated. He was stronger than his opponent and determined to make him bleed. He was faintly aware of his teammates moving to stop him, but he landed several more blows before Higgs was down for the count. Charlie got in one last kick to the ribs before Wood managed to pull him away.

Everything was a blur. The referee, Hooch, was blowing her whistle uselessly and the crowd was in an uproar, but McGonagall wasted no time pulling Charlie off the pitch and into her office.

He emerged fifteen minutes later with another lecture from his Head of House under his belt and another detention to look forward to.

He hadn't even bothered protesting.

* * *

Tonks sat in the back of class, bored out of her mind. Flitwick had disappeared into his office for a few minutes to retrieve something, leaving his class of seventh-years to practice Scarpin's Revelaspell on their assigned objects. It was an advanced Charms technique used to determine the curses or enchantments bespelled upon an object, but like most of her schoolwork, Tonks found it easy.

She had completed her assignment at the beginning of class, scribbling down the basic shield charm and the triggering hex she'd encountered on a piece of parchment, including their countercharms for good measure. Fifteen minutes later, most of the other students had finished. Flitwick looked like he wanted to continue with the lecture, which made Tonks groan. Most of his lectures produced the effect of lulling the young metamorphmagus to sleep.

Sleep.

Now that sounded like a good idea. Tonks liked a good nap as much as anyone, but she'd prefer to do it in the comfort of her four-poster in the Hufflepuff dormitory rather than on the hard oak desk in front of her. If only Flitwick could be convinced to end class early for the day…

An idea suddenly sprang to mind. As a metamorphmagus, pranks and trickery came naturally to her. Tonks had tried to explain this to her mother when she was getting in trouble for yet another instance of misbehavior, but Andromeda had never accepted her excuse.

Despite her past punishments, the possibility of trouble didn't bother Tonks. But the idea of spending another hour in this classroom, bored out of her mind, did.

So Tonks decided to act.

She winked at Cara Cadwallader, her best friend and a fellow Hufflepuff who would be the only eyewitness to what Tonks was about to do. Cara groaned, recognizing that Tonks was up to something, but made no motion to stop her. Tonks grinned in response.

Tonks pushed her chair in, and took a step back, concentrating on transforming. She willed her hair to fade to white, and made it look wispy. She fixed her facial features to appear more weathered, concentrating on making her nose appear hooked, resembling a goblin. The most difficult part of the transformation was the height difference, but even that didn't trouble the metamorphmagus much. She shrunk down about half a meter, and tossed her Hufflepuff tie on the desk. Clothing was the only aspect of Flitwick's appearance that she couldn't readily duplicate, but the man usually wore dark colors, and she figured that most of the students wouldn't notice her standard black robe if she tucked it in with a quick hemming charm.

She gave Cara one last devious smile and made her way to the front of the classroom, grateful that Professor Flitwick's stature allowed her to pass by the students without notice.

The real Professor Flitwick was still rummaging around in his office, so Tonks discreetly conjured a wedge to shove underneath the door. Flitwick was brilliant, and would easily counter any type of locking charm Tonks could try, so she hoped an old-fashioned door stopper would stump him for a while. Wizards, even those as intelligent as Flitwick, often failed to consider simple muggle tricks.

She climbed onto the chair by his desk and then mounted the stack of books from which the professor usually presided. Tonks had to give the man props: it wasn't an easy climb with such short legs.

From her new perspective, she cleared her throat, capturing the attention of the class of seventh years, who had been chatting amongst themselves. Tonks wasn't a newbie at portraying others, but disguising her voice was the most difficult part of fooling people, so she decided to keep it brief. "You all seem to have mastered the charm for today, and the lesson for today is finished. Class dismissed."

Tonks tried not to smile to herself as the students immediately scrambled to pack their bags and head out the door. Flitwick wasn't known for releasing his students early, all her past experiences in tricking people had taught her just how readily people would believe what they wanted to hear.

It was amusing, and she had to resist a chuckle.

A Ravenclaw girl who hadn't quite mastered the charm yet made a move to approach Tonks, who had stepped down from the stack of books. Tonks merely waved her hand, and the girl took it as a sign to ask later. Within another minute, the class had cleared out, with the exception of Cara, who was waiting for her by the door. Tonks heard a bit of a scuffle from the inside of Flitwick's office, so she figured now was the time to make her escape.

Cara handed Tonks her book bag as soon as she got out the door. "You little rascal," she teased.

"You're welcome, by the way," Tonks responded as she transformed back. A self-satisfied smile began to spread over her features until she noticed that someone else had witnessed her transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall strode over to the pair of girls, and glared at the metamorphmagus.

Instinctively, Tonks took a step back, bumping into the wall.

"I know enough of your antics, Miss Tonks, to require no further proof that you have been causing trouble. Detention!"

With a final admonishing stare, McGonagall disappeared into Flitwick's classroom, no doubt to rescue the diminutive professor from his captivity.

Tonks turned to meet Cara's eyes, recovered from her McGonagall's chastisement. "That was so worth it!" she grinned.

* * *

Charlie trudged to the trophy room, not looking forward to spending a perfectly good Friday night with Filch when his friends had no doubt already opened the bottle of Ogden's they had hidden in their dormitory.

He had made sure not to be early, and sure enough, Filch was waiting for him outside the entrance, holding a rag and giving the tall redhead his nastiest glare.

Words were not exchanged. Charlie knew the drill. He handed Filch his wand and took the proffered rag. The caretaker would be back in an hour to relieve him of his duties and they could both get on with their nights. Charlie wasn't in detention nearly as often as the twins, who had already managed to terrorize Hogwarts with their pranks even as second years, but it certainly wasn't a novel experience for him.

What was novel, however, was the slim girl in Hufflepuff robes who already occupied the room. She was twirling her rag above her head, and didn't seem to notice Charlie's entrance at first. When she finally looked up, her eyes widened and she tripped over the rug.

Charlie couldn't stifle his laugh, but his gentlemanly instincts took over, and he extended his arm, helping her up.

The girl was blushing furiously, and Charlie only managed a quick glimpse of her large gray eyes before she turned away, tucking a piece of dark hair behind her ear.

When she turned again to face him, the first thing he noticed was her lack of rosy cheeks. Her flush had disappeared far too quickly after its obvious onset, and it set Charlie's brain in motion. He definitely knew this girl from somewhere…

"Oh! You're the metamorphmagus!" he blurted out. It was the only logical explanation for her timely transformation, and he seemed to recall rumors of a Hufflepuff girl with metamorphmagus powers, and here he was, finally putting a face to the girl with a multitude of faces. If only he could remember her name!

Her embarrassment vanished completely, replaced with a twinge of anger. "I have a name, you know."

Now it was Charlie's turn to be embarrassed, although his pride required him to hide it. "I know your name," he stalled, waiting for a second burst of inspiration.

She raised her eyebrows, waiting. But Charlie had hesitated too long - they both knew his charade was up.

"Well?" she questioned.

"Nymphadora!" he nearly shouted, pleased with himself on what he was sure was the correct guess. He didn't pay too much attention to the gossip, but he could faintly recall that name being tossed around in conjunction with "metamorphmagus."

"Strike two, but nice try, _Weasley_ ," she retorted. Despite her initial discomposure, the girl had quickly regained her footing and now had the upper hand in their discussion. "I go by Tonks."

Charlie was aware that he had already made an ass of himself, and didn't see the point in trying to be polite anymore.

"Tonks? Really?"

"Well, would you like to be addressed by 'Nymphadora?'"

"No," Charlie responded with a smirk, "but you can call me Charlie."

The girl (who he now knew as Tonks) rolled her eyes, but Charlie thought he caught a small flicker of amusement in them.

"So, should we get on with polishing?" he suggested.

Tonks let out an unladylike snort as she plopped down on the dusty rug. "Are you kidding me? Filch is the opposite of creative when it comes to assigning detentions. The trophies can only be polished so many times."

Charlie glanced around the room. The girl wasn't lying – the trophies were already gleaming.

"I see this isn't your first time, then," he responded, dropping his rag and sprawling out on the carpet across from her.

This time, Charlie noticed that she managed to suppress her blush completely at the double entendre.

"No, it's not," she responded, albeit a beat late, "although I usually manage not to get caught." She let that sink in a bit before changing the subject. "So, what'd you do to earn yourself a detention?"

"Surely you must know," Charlie answered, staring her down with a hint of a smile.

"Oh, you're the one who punched Higgs!" she exclaimed gleefully, a second later. "That miserable blighter deserved it! I was at the game - he nearly knocked you off your broomstick!"

Charlie was unable to contain the self-satisfied smile that crept across his features. He wasn't arrogant, not really, but he couldn't help but enjoy the recognition from Tonks, a pretty girl despite her less-than-feminine name.

"And it was quite the impressive Snitch catch," she rambled on, "although I'm sure Hufflepuff will knock you off later on in the season…"

"Bloody likely!" Charlie interrupted, only to realize that Tonks was giggling, obviously kidding. The Hufflepuff team this year was a joke, and they both knew it.

"Hmmph," he muttered, but the smile wouldn't leave his face. It was his turn to turn the questions back on her. "So what'd you do to earn the pleasure of spending a little alone time with me?"

"I'd hardly call this pleasure." This time, Tonks had been ready for his jab, and Charlie was beginning to think that he had underestimated the force of the Hufflepuff girl's personality.

She smiled at him to let him know she was joking and continued. "McGonagall busted me for impersonating a teacher."

Charlie's jaw almost dropped. He knew the metamorphmagus was capable of enough mischief to get a detention, but using her powers to impersonate a teacher was another level. When he looked back at her, it was with a new level of respect.

"Which teacher?" he managed to ask.

"Flitwick," Tonks responded, grinning, "getting down to his height was one of the harder transfigurations I've done. I almost got away with it, too, but McGonagall saw me transform back."

"McGonagall got me too," Charlie admitted.

"No way!" Tonks exclaimed, "not that I'm surprised. Not much gets past her."

Charlie nodded in agreement, still smiling. This detention was going far better than he had anticipated.

Tonks had to admit that this detention had been a bit of a pleasant surprise. Although a good student, the metamorphmagus was no stranger to spending her nights in detention. Her transfiguration powers allowed her to get away with most of her mischief, but she had been caught enough times that she knew the routine when it came to detention, especially with Filch.

He had a reputation for being a nasty old man, but Tonks knew his bark was worse than his bite. His detentions were wholly predictable, and a complete waste of time. She had packed a novel in her bag, planning on enjoying a good book instead of wasting the hour doing pointless labor.

However, Charlie Weasley had surprised her. Despite their initial encounter in which he called her Nymphadora, she found herself in good company. He was slightly arrogant, sure, but Tonks knew enough of his Quidditch prowess to be sure that he could "walk the talk," or so they say. Plus, she would be lying if she said she didn't find it attractive.

The hour passed relatively quickly, thanks to the banter Tonks found herself more fully engaging in. They had debated everything from this year's Quidditch standings, to the best way to sneak into the kitchens, to the Ministry's policy on endangered species. To Tonks's surprise, he had proved himself knowledgeable in all of the subjects they discussed.

She also couldn't help but notice that Charlie Weasley had the _sexiest_ smile she'd ever seen.

It was also apparently contagious. Tonks found herself smiling and laughing throughout their conversation. It only began to fade when she finally checked her watch and found that their hour was almost up.

"Quick!" she blurted, "grab your rag and pretend to be polishing!"

Charlie had quick reflexes, and was on his feet in seconds. Tonks followed suit, and giggled when she looked over at the Gryffindor who was furiously pantomiming scrubbing the nearest trophy.

She was still giggling when Filch stalked into the room. He scowled. Evidently, anything remotely humorous was still a black mark in his book. "Weasley, Tonks," he growled, "you're done." Then he retreated out the door as quickly as he had entered, Mrs. Norris on his heels.

Tonks dropped her unused rag in the display case and moved to pick up her book bag from the floor. She started walking toward the doorway, but stopped halfway there and turned to look at Charlie one last time.

"Well, it was good polishing trophies with you," she said with a smile. "Maybe I'll see you next time I'm in detention?"

With his long strides, Charlie quickly strode over to her. "Is that a date?" he smirked.

Not for the first time that night, Tonks hid her blush. "Maybe," she responded, managing to keep a straight face.

Charlie's smirk didn't fade, and he took a step ahead of her, turning to face her straight-on. "How do you feel about a date that doesn't take place during detention?"

With that, Tonks couldn't help the grin that broke out on her face. "I think I'd like that very much."

* * *

 **Author'** **s Note:** I'm so glad I signed up for the one-shot competition this month but this fic gave me a huge amount of inspiration! So much so, in fact, that I apparently couldn't stick to the rules. This'll be a two-shot, so make sure you alert in order read the next part. And if you're already following, it'd be excellent if you could type a few words into the box below as well :) I'd love to know what you think!

A little background on this: to my surprise, I discovered that according to HP Lexicon, Charlie and Tonks are actually in the same year in Hogwarts! Hence, the inspiration for this fic. I know Charlie's a perennial bachelor, and Tonks eventually ends up with Remus, but I couldn't help but imagine a little seventh year romance between the two. I also took the liberty of making Terence Higgs be the opposing Slytherin seeker. If Charlie only graduated a year before Harry came to Hogwarts, I feel like it's definitely plausible that his years as a seeker could overlap.

Anyway, feel free to ignore my ramblings! Hope you enjoyed part one of two :)


	2. Same Song, Different Verse

**Detention Again**  
by sweaterweather21

* * *

Chapter 2: Same Song, Different Verse  
In which Charlie and Tonks manage to receive even more detention…

" _But there's only so many streets, so many lights_  
 _I swear it's like I can't even leave my house_  
 _I should've known all along_  
 _You gotta move or move on"_

Break Up in a Small Town – Sam Hunt

* * *

Tonks showed up to their first date with pink hair.

Bubble-gum pink, to be specific.

Alone in her room beforehand, she started to have some doubts. If she was honest with herself, scoring a date with _the_ Charlie Weasley, Gryffindor golden boy, seemed way too good to be true.

She must've been too distracted that sexy smile of his back in that trophy room to realize there was no way he could be interested in a 'Puff like her.

Sure, she was smart, but she was also trouble, her detention record speaking for itself. And she was altogether too skinny to be attractive. She didn't possess much in the way of breasts or an arse, at least not to the standards of most of the girls Charlie typically dated. She wasn't popular, either – she could count on one hand the number of people she considered friends. In a way, she actually considered her smaller circle of friends a blessing. Jennifer Turpin had a million friends, but Tonks was willing to bet that none of them had her back like Cara had hers.

The thought made her smile for a moment, but she was quickly unsettled by something else.

It was true that Tonks wasn't like other girls, but her differences went even deeper.

She was a metamorphmagus.

While she wouldn't trade her powers for the world, her abilities had occasionally led to some propositions from creepy guys in the past. It had been Terence Higgs, actually, that slimy Slytherin, who had tried to bribe her into morphing as his ex-girlfriend for a night of fun. Tonks had punched the git when he asked her back in fifth year. She had tried to explain herself to Professor Snape, but in his usual show of blatant favoritism to the snakes, he had given her detention anyway.

It really was a vicious cycle.

Hence, the pink hair. While getting ready, Cara had managed to convince Tonks to shed the pig nose and the crooked teeth. Not that the metamorphmagus would've been stubborn enough to actually show up to her date like that, but she had been trying to prove a point.

The point being that Charlie Weasley wasn't about to make fun of her and get away with it.

So despite Cara's pleas to wear her natural dark brown hair loose around her shoulders, Tonks willed it the brightest color pink she could imagine. If Charlie Weasley only wanted to date her because she was a metamorphmagus, she was going to give him a metamorphmagus.

There was a tiny voice in the back of her head telling her to believe the best in the handsome Gryffindor.

She told it to shut up. It had been the same voice that was trying to convince her increase her boobs by a cup size before heading out, and she was _not_ going to listen to that.

* * *

It took Charlie less than ten minutes into their date to prove her wrong.

It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and they had agreed to meet at the Three Broomsticks. Charlie had arrived early, choosing the corner booth.

Tonks was several minutes late, thanks to Cara's last minute fussing, and slightly out of breath due to her rush over.

Flustered, she pushed open the doors. The bells attached to the handle jingled as she looked around the pub for Charlie.

He caught her eye immediately, and waved her over.

She plopped right down in the seat across from him, oblivious to his quizzical smile as she shrugged off her jacket and set her purse in the space beside her.

"I like it," he said simply after a moment.

Tonks's eyes widened, and her hands instinctively went to her head, remembering.

 _Agrippa!_ Why the hell had she thought pink hair was a good idea on her first date with Charlie _bloody_ Weasley?

"I didn't do it for you," she replied stubbornly, ignoring the fact that he had been the main factor in what she now understood to be a convoluted reason to wear her hair pink.

"Okay."

His lack of reaction only served to further agitate Tonks. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he cut her off.

"Relax, okay, Tonks? You could've shown up to this date with whiskers and I wouldn't mind. I like you."

All the bluster immediately left the metamorphmagus. A blush crept up her cheeks; she was too distracted to even try to suppress it.

"Me too," she responded, uncharacteristically meek.

Charlie smiled, and Tonks immediately regretted her response. If he kept smiling at her like that, she was a goner for sure…

* * *

Charlie kissed her on their way back from Hogsmeade. He couldn't help it, really. It was out of his control.

She had just looked so radiant as they approached the castle doors, slowing their pace in that awkward moment where they couldn't go any further together but neither really wanted to leave. They were holding hands, and Tonks was twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger.

It was snowing, and her cheeks were magnificently rosy from the cold, almost matching her pink hair.

"So, this is where we part ways, huh?" she spoke up, pushing the snow around on the ground with her boot and looking up sideways to meet his eyes.

It wasn't like Charlie to delay going for the kiss, but there was something so sweet about the usually mischievous girl that he wanted to wait and savor the moment for a while.

"Just a second," he stalled, letting go of her hand and turning to face her.

She met him halfway, and their lips met a second later, blissfully warm despite the falling snow.

* * *

The Hogwarts Gossip Mill pronounced them a couple a few days later.

Although Charlie and Tonks never had a direct conversation about their status as boyfriend and girlfriend, it hadn't been necessary.

It went unsaid, happening so subtly that neither noticed. Not at first.

Tonks, who used to relish her independence, now found herself wanting to spend less of her time alone, and more with Charlie. Though she noticed her autonomy slipping slowly away, she discovered that she rather liked relying on him (at least a little bit).

Charlie, who used to pay little mind to anything that wasn't a broomstick or a Snitch, now found himself captivated by Tonks and everything she did. His life wasn't centered around Quidditch anymore (at least not completely), and he was okay with that.

Their friends complained that they bickered like an old married couple, and it was mostly true. Charlie could never resist an opportunity to tease Tonks; she could never resist a snappy comeback. Although neither was truly going for the other's throat.

It became a common occurrence to spot the two of them holding hands as they walked to classes, only parting at the last second, meeting each other for a quick kiss before they had to go their separate ways.

They had been good apart, but they were better together. People noticed, too, remarking that they looked good together, that they were fun to hang out with, that they were downright adorable.

Their names were now often said in tandem: Charlie & Tonks.

Charlie began spending time in the library, a place where had rarely ventured before Tonks waltzed into his life. They entered together under the guise of studying, but almost always ended up making out behind the tall shelves in the history section after an hour or so.

Regardless, Charlie's grades improved. Molly Weasley wrote Charlie at first, and later Tonks herself, praising the young metamorphmagus's positive influence on her second-oldest son.

Tonks was happy to have the Weasley matriarch's seal of approval, but still felt vaguely guilty. It was true that she encouraged him to study more, but she and Charlie had earned a couple of detentions together as well.

She didn't feel guilty enough to change their habits though, because Filch usually oversaw them, which meant an unguarded hour alone in the trophy room. The dust piled up a bit over the course of the months they were together, but it was _private_.

Tonks kept the pink hair.

It had become a sort of in-joke by then. Eventually, she did attempt to explain her whole messed-up logic about that decision to Charlie. He had understood, but by that point, she had developed quite the fondness for for the bubble-gum pink hair, so it stayed.

* * *

Being together was so easy that their first disagreement came from the possibility of one day being apart.

Charlie was the first person Tonks confided in about her dream of being an Auror. Before Charlie, she had been too hesitant to put a voice to all her hopes and dreams, as if saying them out loud made them more real.

She had been scared.

But there was something about Charlie that put Tonks at ease: his strong arms, his laughing eyes, but most of all, his perfect smile. It assured her that all was well.

With his support, it had been easy to write her parents, informing them of her decision to apply to the Auror Academy in London. To her surprise, they had been supportive. Apparently all she had needed in the first place was a push in the right direction.

It was later when Charlie brought up the possibility of a dragon-handling internship in Romania.

Tonks had wrinkled her nose. Romania was so far away, and dragons were just so dangerous. She knew it was hypocritical – Auror training was no cakewalk, either – and although she had wanted to be supportive, just like he had been with her, in the end, she had balked.

His plans made her uneasy, and it wasn't until later when she realized exactly why.

They were incontrovertible proof that they would be separated.

Tonks cried alone in her dormitory that night, cursing herself for being so weak, cursing the fact that a boy (a practically perfect one, but still) could make her act like this. She had never asked for this, never asked to have her emotions so tightly wound to another person that the mere thought of a future apart was enough to rattle her to the point of tears.

Cara found her sobbing, deciphered what she was saying through her teary hiccups, and consoled her. On the surface, nothing was wrong with her relationship. They still had a month and a half left at Hogwarts. There was no use ruining a perfectly wonderful relationship over future possibilities.

It wasn't the end, it couldn't be the end, not yet.

Though not a Gryffindor, Tonks eventually mustered the courage to talk to Charlie. He admitted that he had accepted the internship, and although Tonks could feel her heart sink low in her chest, she painted a smile onto her face and congratulated him.

Charlie, though, had always managed to see right through her. Wrapped up in his embrace, Tonks felt the familiar sense of calm and security wash over her, like it always did when she was with him. A solitary tear leaked out of her eye, but Charlie wiped it away, capturing her trembling lips in a kiss, reminding her of how good they were together.

Tonks smiled, her worries forgotten.

* * *

Tonks had dragged Charlie to the library again, but it was different this time. Ever since his future plans had become concrete, the dynamic had shifted, although they were both too stubborn to acknowledge it. The teasing, the hand-holding, and the stolen kisses all continued, but Tonks couldn't help but feel like they were of limited quantity, and the supply was dwindling.

She sighed.

The metamorphmagus knew she couldn't concentrate on her Potions essay any longer, and Charlie had already lost focus on his Herbology homework. He was sketching Quidditch plays, his books cast to the side.

"I'm bored," she said suddenly, snapping her book closed and tilting her head, peering at Charlie sideways.

Charlie looked up from his notes and grinned. "That's what you always say, and usually we wind up in detention afterward."

"Hey, not all the time! Sometimes we get away!" Tonks responded indignantly.

Charlie rolled his eyes playfully. " _Sometimes_ ," he emphasized, "but hey, I'll bite."

Tonks started packing up her books and quills. "I'm hungry. Kitchen?"

"Of course, couldn't refuse." Following suit, Charlie shoved his things into his book bag haphazardly and put his arm around Tonks's shoulder.

The walk to the kitchens was a short one, and once in the presence of the house elves, Tonks found herself energized.

"Ooh! I have an idea!" she said, eyeing Charlie deviously. "The house elves always prepare stuff for us, right? So why don't we bake something ourselves tonight!"

Charlie caught on to the gleam in her eyes. It was infectious. "How about a cake?" he suggested.

"Perfect!"

The house elves seemed a little put out over not being able to serve the two seventh years, but were still more than willing to help, gathering the various pans and measuring cups and ingredients. In the past, his mother had forced him to help her with the baking, and he thought that he mostly remembered the steps.

"Merlin, you'd be useless without me!" he teased his girlfriend as they mixed the ingredients, and Tonks laughed.

When they were finished, the cake went in the oven and Charlie and Tonks sat down at the small wooden table in the corner of the kitchen.

"I've missed this," she admitted softly, her gray eyes accidentally locking onto Charlie's blue ones.

"Everything's an adventure with you, Tonks."

She beamed, and everything was the same again.

They kissed at that corner table for a long time, long enough that the cake started to burn and a particularly vocal house elf named Mitsy admonished them for being careless.

They suffered through the lecture solemnly, but were surprised when Mitsy finished her tirade and admitted she had made them a separate cake, just incase. It was chocolate, with cream cheese frosting, and she served them each a large piece.

Tonks ate about half, her appetite mostly diminished. Maybe it hadn't been for food after all, but rather a little adventure with her boyfriend.

Either way, she was satisfied.

It was past curfew, but Tonks waited for Charlie to finish up his slice and the rest of hers before making any move to leave. They offered to do the dishes, but the house elves insisted.

"That was always the worst part of baking," Charlie whispered in Tonks's ear as they left, waving goodbye to the helpful little creatures.

It was an even shorter walk back to the entrance of the Hufflepuff dorms. Tonks would've invited Charlie up to stay the night, but he had Quidditch practice in the morning. She settled for a quick kiss good night, standing on her tip-toes just so she could reach Charlie's mouth.

Like usual, however, their chaste goodnight kiss quickly turned into something more. Charlie, sick of bending over to accommodate the much-shorter Tonks, lifted her up. She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist and throwing her arms around his neck. He was so easy to get lost in.

"Um, ahem!" A nervous voice interrupted them suddenly. Tonks and Charlie's heads jerked apart, and Charlie slowly lowered his girlfriend back to the ground.

The source of the interruption was Martin Mortenson, a fifth year Ravenclaw prefect, and unfortunately, a stickler for the rules.

"It's past curfew, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to assign you both detention. Tomorrow afternoon, with Mr. Filch in the trophy room. Four o'clock."

Charlie groaned. "C'mon, Martin. I can't miss Quidditch practice!"

There was an obvious size difference between the scrawny prefect and the muscular Quidditch player, but armed with the rules on his side, Martin didn't back down.

"Sorry, Weasley. Tomorrow! You too, Tonks."

He strode away self-importantly, no doubt pleased that he had managed to bust two of Hogwarts most notorious rule breakers.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I should go," he muttered. "I gotta tell my team that I won't be at practice tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll see you in detention tomorrow?" she questioned.

But Charlie didn't hear. He was already retreating down the hall.

* * *

Detention was not off to a good start.

They had exchanged hellos upon entering the trophy room, but it had been oddly silent ever since.

Usually, they filled the room with conversation and laughter. For a room that was almost exclusively used to carry out detention, Tonks had some fond memories of the place. She spent so much time in here with Charlie that she practically considered it a second home.

Today was different, however. Charlie was rarely moody, but this afternoon was an exception. He was missing Quidditch practice only a week before the final match against Ravenclaw. He wanted to hex bloody Martin Mortenson for giving him detention, or better yet, punch him.

Tonks was attuned enough to her boyfriend to notice his foul state of mind, and smart enough not to comment on it. Nothing good would come of it. She wasn't in the best of moods either – the deadline for the Auror Academy was approaching, and her application still needed another letter of recommendation. Tonks had been planning on approaching Professor Sprout after class, but the unexpected detention had put a damper on things.

Twenty minutes had passed, though, and Tonks was sick of the silence. She glanced over at Charlie, who was leaning against one of the trophy cases, his head in his hands.

"Having fun?" she said lamely, attempting to strike up a conversation at the expense of a bad joke.

Wrong choice.

"No. I'm not," Charlie snapped back, straightening up and taking a step away from the trophy case.

 _Gearing up for a fight_.

Unfortunately, Tonks wasn't in the mood to patch things over. "You don't have to be pissy," she complained. "We're in here together."

"Yeah, but it was your bloody idea to go the kitchens last night, and now I'm the one missing Quidditch practice." Charlie's blue eyes were blazing, and Tonks couldn't remember ever seeing them like that before.

"I didn't have you at wandpoint!" Tonks fired back. "It's your fault as much as mine!"

A thick, impermeable silence settled after the two after that. It didn't take Tonks long to realize that their argument was incredibly stupid, just two teenagers lashing out due to their growly moods. The banality of their argument didn't make it any easier to apologize, though.

But was an apology really the best remedy? They had been arguing about a trivial issue, but the real problem was one they had been dancing around for a while.

Tonks sunk down to the carpet. Her eyes stared at the ancient red and silver pattern, looking anywhere, anywhere but at Charlie.

"We should talk," she said finally, still refusing to look up.

Charlie sat down next to her, fidgeting with his wand, pensive.

"Yeah, we should," he acquiesced.

The silence was back again, enveloping the young couple in their doubts.

Trying to summon some of his Gryffindor bravery, Charlie tucked his wand in his robe pocket so he'd stop fidgeting, and turned toward Tonks. "What are we doing?" he asked softly.

Tonks finally looked up, and there was regret in her eyes. "I'm not sure anymore," she said slowly. "You know, Charlie, these past few months have been some of the best of my life."

She paused, forcing herself to look at him, and exhaled deeply before continuing. "I just think it feels wrong to keep playing at a relationship when it feels like we're nearing our expiration date." She blinked forcefully, determined not to cry. Not now.

Charlie smiled, but it was a sad smile. It looked so foreign on his usually jovial face that Tonks felt her heart break all over again.

"Tonks, if I'm honest, you're one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Even my mum agrees," he said hesitantly, a real smile creeping up his face this time.

It disappeared quickly though, and he continued solemnly. "I mean it. Without you, I'd still probably be chasing after the Snitch. I would've never applied for that internship; I wouldn't have ever gotten in for a start."

The irony of his statement hit Tonks like the Whomping Willow. She had pushed him toward applying, having seen the same natural instincts that served him on the Quidditch field in action while he was in Care of Magical Creatures class. She knew how much he loved animals. She knew that he could succeed. Without her nagging, though, he might not have even considered the possibility of leaving England.

They might've still had a chance.

Tonks could see it clearly now.

"I think we should break up." The words tumbled out of her mouth, but as soon as they left, she wanted to take them back and beg him to stay.

She couldn't do that to him, though. She wouldn't. Not to her Charlie. He was so talented, even if he couldn't see it for himself. He would be amazing in Romania, and she wouldn't be the one to hold him back.

All the fight left Charlie upon hearing Tonks's words. "If you think it's for the best."

"I do," she nodded, but the lone tear that slipped out of the corner of her eye contradicted her statement.

Charlie's eyes were cloudy as he turned toward the heartsick Hufflepuff. "Hey, Tonks, don't cry."

She wiped her tear away stubbornly, and it was in that moment that Charlie finally realized all he was losing. Her tenacity was a lot to handle at times, but he had grown accustomed to her sharpness and teasing words. He hated to see her like this.

Without thinking, he reached for her hand. As he gently rubbed circles into her smooth skin, he couldn't suppress the thought that this would be his last time touching her.

It wasn't enough.

Neither of them could bear for this to be their last goodbye.

Like their first kiss, Tonks met him halfway. Her leg snaked around his hip without her permission, bringing them closer in spite of their impending separation. Charlie buried his hands in her glorious pink hair and tried not to think that she might change it back tomorrow. Tonks's breath came in warm hiccups, and she had to focus on Charlie's thumb, still rubbing circles into the back of her hand, to prevent herself from losing control completely.

Charlie pulled away first, releasing her lips first, and then her hand. He wasn't very sentimental, but he couldn't help taking one last glance at his former girlfriend as he stood up to leave.

"I should go," he mumbled hastily.

Tonks could only nod in response. Words were too complicated; they threatened to betray her.

She thought he'd walk away without looking back, but he paused right before he stepped over the threshold.

"I'll miss you, Tonks."

 _I'll miss you too_. The phrase rested at the tip of her tongue, but he was already walking away and she was so close to tears that she didn't think she could take it anymore.

"I know."

* * *

When Filch showed up five minutes later to pronounce the detention over, only Tonks remained. Slowly, she dragged herself to her feet, not even trying to mask her face, red and blotchy from crying.

The caretaker started protesting about that damn Weasley boy skipping out early, but the strange Hufflepuff girl just brushed past him quickly, surrounded by such an intense air of melancholy that for once in his life, he decided to let it go.

* * *

Fate was a cruel mistress, Charlie decided.

He couldn't complain, though. He had deserved it.

Last night had been the night before graduation, and in typical fashion, he and his buddies had hit the firewhiskey a little too hard. Charlie had been dared to streak through the Common Room, and a little first year had spotted him and narked to McGonagall.

And that was how Charlie Weasley found himself spending his last night at Hogwarts in detention.

He had almost groaned when Filch led him to the blasted trophy room. He hadn't planned on ever coming back here after that day, but the past month had served as buffer, and Charlie was actually able to recall some of the good memories associated with the room, not just the bad.

He was a creature of habit, and just about to toss his rag to the side like he usually did, when he noticed that this time, the trophies were actually covered in a thick layer of dust.

He almost laughed out loud. After all those months of shirking their detention duties, it seemed there was finally some work.

Well, what the hell. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

He was just bending down to pick up the discarded rag when he heard the familiar sound of laughter.

He turned abruptly toward the source of the noise, only to see Tonks waltz in through the door.

 _Merlin!_

Charlie's eyes widened, and he backed into the Quidditch Cup of '56 trophy, knocking it over.

Frozen in place, he couldn't quite bring himself to pick it up.

It had been a month. A difficult month for what should've been one of the happiest of his life. He about to graduate Hogwarts, finally, after all those years, but instead of celebrating, he spent his time trying to avoid Tonks in the hallways and sitting as far apart from her as possible in all their shared classes.

He didn't trust himself otherwise. It would've been far too easy to slip back into old habits, and he didn't want it all to be for nothing.

The rumor mill had flared up, but Charlie was quick to stifle any of the nasty gossip that passed his way. He insisted it was mutual, and after a while, people finally believed him.

Hogwarts was a small castle, though. There were only so many hallways, so many classrooms, so many places to serve out a detention.

It was inevitable.

He noticed her hair was still pink. He couldn't bring himself to say hello.

A figured slipped in behind her, so quickly he almost didn't notice.

Charlie didn't know his name, didn't want to find out. He was another 'Puff, evidenced by the black-and-yellow tie, vaguely known for being a wisecrack and sporting an annoying grin that Charlie was tempted to smack off his face.

In other words, he was completely Tonks's type.

"Erm, hello Charlie," Tonks stumbled over her words.

"Hi," he responded shortly. The other guy grabbed Tonks's robe, tugging her to the other side of the room, and Charlie forced himself to look away.

He busied himself by straightening the fallen trophy back up, and got to work polishing the rest of the row of Quidditch Cups. He told himself that his desire to do a good job was merely a way of giving something back to the school after all his wrongdoings the past seven years.

It was a ridiculous lie to tell to himself. The only reason he was working so hard was to distract himself from her, but he wasn't going to complain, because somehow, it worked.

Filch arrived promptly on the hour, his mangy cat on his heel. "Weasley!" he bellowed, "you're done!"

Charlie heaved a sigh of relief, eager to make his exit. He handed the caretaker his rag.

"You two! You were late, so you're going to have to stay a while."

Tonks shrugged in nonchalance, but Charlie thought he could detect a hint of something else in her posture.

Filch stomped away, and Charlie moved to follow him, but once again, he couldn't bring himself to leave without saying goodbye.

"Tonks!" his exclaimed, watching her eyes flicker toward him, filled with curiosity.

"Try to stay out of trouble at the Auror Academy, yeah?"

She looked surprised for a moment, but a familiar smile quickly spread over her face.

"As long as you don't find a way to get detention way over there in Romania!"

"No promises." He held her gaze one last time before turning away, letting the door close softly behind him.

* * *

 **Author'** **s Note:** And that's it! I really adored writing this, and am a bit sad that it's over. I wrote this for a challenge, but I can definitely say I ship Charlie/Tonks now! Thanks again to Jules for putting all the finishing touches on this :)

I'd love to know what you thought of this little two-shot, so please leave a review! Thanks :)


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